For the first time, Italian archaeologists and researchers used artificial intelligence technology to digitally reconstruct the face and moments of escape of a man who died in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, providing a new perspective on understanding this most famous natural disaster in human history.
The remains corresponding to this digital portrait are of a man unearthed near Pompeii, Italy. He and another victim were found trying to escape the city towards the Italian coast when the volcano erupted. Researchers concluded that the man suffered an accident during the early stage of the disaster when pyroclastic debris fell violently.
This project is led by the Pompeii Archaeological Park and completed in cooperation with the University of Padua. It conducts modeling and reconstruction based on archaeological survey data excavated outside the city walls of Pompeii and near the cemetery area near Porta Stabia.
Artificial intelligence-generated images released by the park show the man depicted running on a rugged road filled with rubble, holding a large shallow and wide bowl over his head as a makeshift shield. In the background, Mount Vesuvius is erupting violently in the distance, with ash and debris blocking the sky.
The ruins of Pompeii, located near Naples, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted violently, burying the entire city under thick volcanic ash and pumice. The final moments of the streets, buildings and thousands of residents of the ancient city were unexpectedly "frozen" in astonishing detail.
Archaeologists found a terracotta mortar next to the man's remains and believe that this is the object used to cover his head in the image. It may be a temporary protective measure he came up with to avoid small volcanic rocks falling densely in the air.
Ancient documents—including written reports by the Roman writer Pliny the Younger—describe Pompeii residents using various objects to cover their heads and faces during volcanic eruptions to protect themselves from the overwhelming volcanic ash and debris.
In addition to the mortar, researchers also found an oil lamp, a small iron ring and 10 bronze coins on the man. These belongings not only present the last fragments of his life before fleeing, but also provide new clues for examining the daily life of Pompeii residents before the disaster.
This digital portrait combines artificial intelligence and image editing technology to translate the skeletal information and archaeological background data of the remains into human faces and scenes as realistic as possible.
"The amount of archaeological data we have at our disposal is extremely large. To achieve full protection and effective interpretation, it is almost inseparable from the assistance of artificial intelligence." Gabriel Zuckertrigel, director of Pompeii Archaeological Park, said in a statement, "If used properly, artificial intelligence is expected to promote the revitalization of classical research. "Rebirth."
The research team pointed out that the goal of this project is to use technical means to make the archaeological research results easier to understand and more emotionally appealing while maintaining scientific rigor, so that the public can approach the real moment of the disaster that happened to the Pompeii people nearly two thousand years ago in a more intuitive way.